Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: roundbuilder on September 21, 2012, 03:09:46 pm
-
400 customers a month at £10=£4000 a month
600 customers at 6 weekly at £10=£4000 a month still
Explain the logic please why would you want the hastle of gaining an extra 50% of customers to earn the same each month????
-
do you mean 600 customers per 6 weeks ?
-
no i mean 600 customers in 6 weeks still earns the same as 400 customers at 4 weeks or am i missing something??
i can do 6 weeks of my 4 weekly customers as half will be on there 2nd clean and earn the exactly the same without them being as dirty also so will be faster, so to me 6 weekly doesnt add up as a benefit.
-
do you mean 600 customers per 6 weeks ?
oh see what you mean. i changed it. cheers
-
Yes Mick. We do 6 weekly only. Yes we need more customers, but hardly any cancelations and no moaning about "Is it that time already". No more "Not this time" and the windows are dirtier so people are happy to see us. I'm a bit odd ( ;) ) because I don't mind door knocking and find canvassing easy, so getting 50% more customers than I would need on 4 weekly isn't an issue.
I read a lot of stuff in the past and his helped me be more confident so getting new customers isn't as hard for people like me. When I first started, everything was 4 weekly, I find 6 weekly next to stress free compared to that. There is another point, many customers means more solid customer base. If I lose 1 or 2, then there's time to replace before the next tour.
There's another point I've used in the summer. I've run early and cut the tour down to 5 and a half weeks just before I go on hols. Nobody notices!!! :D Lets me take a bit more holiday.
I suppose if someone finds getting work hard, then 4 weekly is easier. Fear of rejection on the doorstep can make grown men cry.
-
YOU CHARGE MORE SIMPLE I WAS LUCKY I CHANGED A LOT OF MY 8 WEEKLY TO 6 WEEKLY AT SAME PRICES
-
Yeah Richy, you could, but we don't.
-
I think a lot of people dont want it every 4 weeks. If i was starting again i would go for every 6 weeks for a stronger more secure round.
-
more go for 6 weekly when i quote now
-
400 customers a month at £10=£4000 a month
600 customers at 6 weekly at £10=£4000 a month still
Explain the logic please why would you want the hastle of gaining an extra 50% of customers to earn the same each month????
How about:
20 customers a day at £10 = £4,000 a month.
400 customers a month at £10 = £4,000 a month.
Explain the logic please why would you want the hassle of gaining an extra 1900% of customers to earn the same each month????
You see, I run my business to give my customers what they want rather than what I want. Radical stuff on here, but I do it.
My customers don't want four weekly cleans, as attested to by the fact that 2/3 of them are 12-weekly at a 50% price premium. That suggests a big demand for longer intervals, if people are prepared to pay for it.
Vin
-
i started doing every 6 weeks now do 5 or 10 weekly works great ;) ;) ;)
-
400 customers a month at £10=£4000 a month
600 customers at 6 weekly at £10=£4000 a month still
Explain the logic please why would you want the hastle of gaining an extra 50% of customers to earn the same each month????
How about:
20 customers a day at £10 = £4,000 a month.
400 customers a month at £10 = £4,000 a month.
Explain the logic please why would you want the hassle of gaining an extra 1900% of customers to earn the same each month????
You see, I run my business to give my customers what they want rather than what I want. Radical stuff on here, but I do it.
My customers don't want four weekly cleans, as attested to by the fact that 2/3 of them are 12-weekly at a 50% price premium. That suggests a big demand for longer intervals, if people are prepared to pay for it.
Vin
Nice to offer whatever the customer wants, but when you're up to the limit on what you want regarding work, then it's take it or leave it. I'm not moving the goal posts to fit a few customers wishes mate. They get what's on offer. Nothing aggressive, just that I haven't got the options and enough hours in the day to offer a "Whatever you want" service.
I see your point, but I can't offer that.
-
400 customers a month at £10=£4000 a month
600 customers at 6 weekly at £10=£4000 a month still
Explain the logic please why would you want the hastle of gaining an extra 50% of customers to earn the same each month????
How about:
20 customers a day at £10 = £4,000 a month.
400 customers a month at £10 = £4,000 a month.
Explain the logic please why would you want the hassle of gaining an extra 1900% of customers to earn the same each month????
You see, I run my business to give my customers what they want rather than what I want. Radical stuff on here, but I do it.
My customers don't want four weekly cleans, as attested to by the fact that 2/3 of them are 12-weekly at a 50% price premium. That suggests a big demand for longer intervals, if people are prepared to pay for it.
Vin
I cant understand why all your customers wouldnt want 4 weekly when all mine do??? your just creating extra work for yourself as will be that much more dirty. i mainly do front only cleans on a 4 week basis charging £10 a pop and never have customers say that im to regular in fact some ask for 2 weekly who are on main roads, even if i did these 6 weekly i wouldnt be able to charge them any more as no one would pay any higher for there fronts.
as for 12 weekly they may as well be first cleans each time especialy in winter so no wonder you charge an extra 50%.
I run my business how I want and the way I want it is how i would imagine most do- to earn as much money as possible with the minimal amount of work carried out to do so, so for me i cant justify having the 6 weekly. I have just over 1000 customers who are all pretty much on 4 weekly bar 100 odd on 8 weekly due to money issues or in central london where i do them every other month on sundays. if i did every customer on 6 weekly id be at a big loss.
So i still cant understand why you say all your customers want 6 weekly? if all your customers wanted you to go 6 monthly would you??? i work my round how i want not how customers want.
-
I used to be 4 weeks years ago and i knocked them all to 5 - 6 weeks. I did notice the old "that time again is it" "has it really been a month?" comments, now i dont. Even on this time scale i fall behind, im that busy with work i dont care where the money comes from i just get on with work and new stuff comes in daily, i earn a decent wage and i look after my customers the best i can.
-
i started doing every 6 weeks now do 5 or 10 weekly works great ;) ;) ;)
good for you, not sure what the winks are for though as the way i see it your the 1 needing extra to have a full round and have to put more work in to do so??.
you work the same areas as me so you should know there isnt a prob with the frequency's. Plus i know i charge more than you for cleans so with no pun intended i cant understand why you would rather 5 or 6 weekly over 4 especially as you are building up needing customers???.
-
I see what you mean Mick, but you could just as easily ask who works Sundays. You find 4 weekly better and have no issues that some of us have had. Great. However, I got into this game for free time and minimum work for maximum money. So working Sundays is a no no for me.
At least you've had a few answers to your question. There isn't a right or wrong way to go about earning in the time you choose. ;)
-
I cant understand why all your customers wouldnt want 4 weekly when all mine do??? your just creating extra work for yourself as will be that much more dirty. i mainly do front only cleans on a 4 week basis charging £10 a pop and never have customers say that im to regular in fact some ask for 2 weekly who are on main roads, even if i did these 6 weekly i wouldnt be able to charge them any more as no one would pay any higher for there fronts.
as for 12 weekly they may as well be first cleans each time especialy in winter so no wonder you charge an extra 50%.
I run my business how I want and the way I want it is how i would imagine most do- to earn as much money as possible with the minimal amount of work carried out to do so, so for me i cant justify having the 6 weekly. I have just over 1000 customers who are all pretty much on 4 weekly bar 100 odd on 8 weekly due to money issues or in central london where i do them every other month on sundays. if i did every customer on 6 weekly id be at a big loss.
So i still cant understand why you say all your customers want 6 weekly? if all your customers wanted you to go 6 monthly would you??? i work my round how i want not how customers want.
If you think a 12-weekly clean is like a first clean, then you clearly have never done one. Also, if you think a winter 12-weekly clean is harder, ditto. It's summer pollen, slugs and spiders that hurt.
Your problem with understanding why I do it is that you're not taking into account the price increase.
A 12-weekly clean takes me seconds (literally) more than a 6-weekly. At a 50% uplift in price, I LOVE 12-weeklies. I even work very hard at talking my 6-weekly cleans into moving to 12-weekly, so either I'm a complete idiot (possible) or I know something you don't know.
Yes, my round took longer to grow, but equally, with 2/3 of my customers at a 50% price uplift, I'm earning far more per hour in return for that work.
Ref your question about 6-monthly, I have a few. They pay 2.25x the price of a six-weekly. I love them even more than the 12-weekly. They take maybe 20% more time than a 6-weekly clean but I'm earning so much more per hour.
Still, you're on here to pursue an agenda rather than ask a question, so no doubt I'll be totally wrong.
Vin
-
I see what you mean Mick, but you could just as easily ask who works Sundays. You find 4 weekly better and have no issues that some of us have had. Great. However, I got into this game for free time and minimum work for maximum money. So working Sundays is a no no for me.
At least you've had a few answers to your question. There isn't a right or wrong way to go about earning in the time you choose. ;)
Yes i have heard why people go every 6 weeks. I still cant understand why but there you go. i too like free time but the houses i do on the sunday are £100-200 and can only be done on sunday as thats when they are in and also the only day where i can park as in central london it is my best day and part of my job doing the sunday and i even look forward to doing it as by far the best earnings for a days work im ever likely to get im near the point where I earn just as much for a sunday than i do for the whole week doing my standard stuff. shame its only 2 sundays every 2 months
-
Then I admit, with those sums, I'd work Sunday!!! ;D
-
I cant understand why all your customers wouldnt want 4 weekly when all mine do??? your just creating extra work for yourself as will be that much more dirty. i mainly do front only cleans on a 4 week basis charging £10 a pop and never have customers say that im to regular in fact some ask for 2 weekly who are on main roads, even if i did these 6 weekly i wouldnt be able to charge them any more as no one would pay any higher for there fronts.
as for 12 weekly they may as well be first cleans each time especialy in winter so no wonder you charge an extra 50%.
I run my business how I want and the way I want it is how i would imagine most do- to earn as much money as possible with the minimal amount of work carried out to do so, so for me i cant justify having the 6 weekly. I have just over 1000 customers who are all pretty much on 4 weekly bar 100 odd on 8 weekly due to money issues or in central london where i do them every other month on sundays. if i did every customer on 6 weekly id be at a big loss.
So i still cant understand why you say all your customers want 6 weekly? if all your customers wanted you to go 6 monthly would you??? i work my round how i want not how customers want.
If you think a 12-weekly clean is like a first clean, then you clearly have never done one. Also, if you think a winter 12-weekly clean is harder, ditto. It's summer pollen, slugs and spiders that hurt.
Your problem with understanding why I do it is that you're not taking into account the price increase.
A 12-weekly clean takes me seconds (literally) more than a 6-weekly. At a 50% uplift in price, I LOVE 12-weeklies. I even work very hard at talking my 6-weekly cleans into moving to 12-weekly, so either I'm a complete idiot (possible) or I know something you don't know.
Yes, my round took longer to grow, but equally, with 2/3 of my customers at a 50% price uplift, I'm earning far more per hour in return for that work.
Ref your question about 6-monthly, I have a few. They pay 2.25x the price of a six-weekly. I love them even more than the 12-weekly. They take maybe 20% more time than a 6-weekly clean but I'm earning so much more per hour.
Still, you're on here to pursue an agenda rather than ask a question, so no doubt I'll be totally wrong.
Vin
not at all. as you say its your business so why would i say your right or wrong. i myself have never charged any more for 8 weekly so in that aspect you are correct 100% as i dont know however for me i find most that goto 8 weekly from 4 are the customers who cant afford to have it done 4 weekly so i wouldnt dream of charging more. also the customers who can afford it that are 8 weekly are likely to know the customers that are 4 weekly and cancal on me due to paying 50% more than there neighbour so for my business that wouldnt work, also id be that much more at risk that customer being underpriced by someone else by a big price margin.
Like i said i can see your point and think fair play to you but you must see mine too??
dont forget i aim for front only victorian terrace houses that take 3 mins tops to do and can get £10's all day long however even if i did do these 8 weekly i dont think i would get £15 for them however im sure up for trying but my cancelation rate would be HUGE.
-
Then I admit, with those sums, I'd work Sunday!!! ;D
exactly lol ;)
-
I've been going about six weeks now. I started offering a six weekly clean but a lot of my customers want 8 weeks and a few 12 weeks. They just don't want to spend the money. Naturally, I try to convince them to have 6 weeks but I want every customer I can get at the moment so if 8 weeks is what they want then that's fine by me.
-
Robbo, all I'd say about that is try to get 4/8/12, 5/10 or 6/12 but not 8/12. If you have one of the sets of frequencies I've mentioned, you're doing your round in a sensible order but just missing some each time. If you try 8 and 12, your route will be blown as you'll have to cover the same areas more than once in each cycle.
Vin
-
Thanks Vin, I'll have a ponder on that one!
-
I've been going about six weeks now. I started offering a six weekly clean but a lot of my customers want 8 weeks and a few 12 weeks. They just don't want to spend the money. Naturally, I try to convince them to have 6 weeks but I want every customer I can get at the moment so if 8 weeks is what they want then that's fine by me.
8 and 12 weekly :o :o its getting worse. ;D
-
Vin this is how i would see it on a 4 and 6 weekly difference without a price difference. Do you agree or not that it creat's more work 6 weekly.
How would the same scinario work with me on my 4 weekly with you on you 12 weekly with your price 50% higher than mine as you stated.
Rav and joe are in contest to build a window cleaning business...
ravi patel wants to have a business with 1200 customers at 4 weekly.
van 1 400x£10 customers
van 2 400x£10 customers
van 3 400x£10 customers
144k a year
joe bloggs wants a business with 1800 customers at 6 weekly
van 1 600x£10 customers
van 2 600x£10 customers
van 3 600x£10 customers
144k a year
both ravi and joe build there rounds gaining customers at the exact same speed.
Poor old joe will have a lot more work to do than ravi to hit hes target. Ravi would have van 4 and half of van 5 on the road by the time joe has finished earning him 8k more a month than joe. On a flip side joe could try changing from 6 to 4 weekly and be the same but runs the risk of many cancelations due to the change and customers being used to how it was before.
-
Mick, your figures are interesting, but as a newbie, what do I do when a customer is insistent that they only want 6 or 8 weeks? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be in a position to pick and choose.
-
What i think people are missing is a £10 4 weekly job would a £13 -14 6 weekly job and it dont take much longer to do that a 4 weekly job for more money.
Paul
-
hi rob. window cleaning in my eyes has always been a monthly thing. from the day i started till now. never have i been asked to go 6 weekly. must be the way you canvas. i go through my pitch at the door and when they are interested i say its £10/20 a month and they agree. sometimes they ask every 2 months but verey rarely and i go with it withought charging extra. I live se london and it is the norm here with work i hav canvassed or bought as never came accross 6 and 12 weekly requests by customers however i can see why a customer would tick 6 weekly if had the choice but the trick isto not give that choice 1200 strong customer base i cant be wrong, where in the country are you??
Something i am going to do from new year when i hit the doors again is charge 50% extra on the first clean as a few local blokes my way do this.
-
Mick, i'm in Bournemouth and I started out with the intention of doing 6 weekly cleans due to all the info I've read on here. I must admit that it made sense that 4 weekly would be too often (especially as time flies etc), customers seeing you too soon blah blah. And I didn't want too many cancellations. So rightly or wrongly, I made the decision for 6 weeks and I'm ok with it. I put it on my leaflet that I offer a six weekly clean so I set my stall out, so to speak. On the doorstep I explain that I clean all the windows, frames, doors, sills etc and I offer a six weekly clean. Most in all fairness are ok but about 20 percent say that's too soon and would prefer 'every couple of months'. That seems to be the key phrase. Naturally I try and steer them towards 6 weekly but some are insistent and I'm too new to lose customers for the sake of a couple of weeks.
-
What i think people are missing is a £10 4 weekly job would a £13 -14 6 weekly job and it dont take much longer to do that a 4 weekly job for more money.
Paul
No my point is you cant change from £10 to £14 for a 2 week difference,
Bedonwell road i charge £10 fronts wheather it be 4 or 6 weekly you and i both know customers wont pay more than that for a front customers arnt that stupid. 12 weekly i can understand charging more but no way 2 week difference. Would run the risk of customer seeking cheaper quote or accepting a better offer. the past 3 years i have worked out the rough max i can get away with charging and if i went for £14 fronts i wouldnt have much of a business as it just wouldnt happen round here, Blackheath maybe bet even that is a push.
-
hi rob. window cleaning in my eyes has always been a monthly thing. from the day i started till now. never have i been asked to go 6 weekly. must be the way you canvas. i go through my pitch at the door and when they are interested i say its £10/20 a month and they agree. sometimes they ask every 2 months but verey rarely and i go with it withought charging extra. I live se london and it is the norm here with work i hav canvassed or bought as never came accross 6 and 12 weekly requests by customers however i can see why a customer would tick 6 weekly if had the choice but the trick isto not give that choice 1200 strong customer base i cant be wrong, where in the country are you??
Something i am going to do from new year when i hit the doors again is charge 50% extra on the first clean as a few local blokes my way do this.
Mick, do you honestly think you would get away with 50% extra for first clean?? Fair play if you can tho. When I was on the windows, I did try to maybe stick few quid on the first clean, not 50% tho. Wish I had! :o
-
On my 12 weeklys, I have managed to push the price up a bit. For instance, one house is 25 quid and when I'm up to speed should take me half an hour. Naturally i'm looking forward to doing that one again...if I don't get too old in the meantime LOL.
-
Mick, i'm in Bournemouth and I started out with the intention of doing 6 weekly cleans due to all the info I've read on here. I must admit that it made sense that 4 weekly would be too often (especially as time flies etc), customers seeing you too soon blah blah. And I didn't want too many cancellations. So rightly or wrongly, I made the decision for 6 weeks and I'm ok with it. I put it on my leaflet that I offer a six weekly clean so I set my stall out, so to speak. On the doorstep I explain that I clean all the windows, frames, doors, sills etc and I offer a six weekly clean. Most in all fairness are ok but about 20 percent say that's too soon and would prefer 'every couple of months'. That seems to be the key phrase. Naturally I try and steer them towards 6 weekly but some are insistent and I'm too new to lose customers for the sake of a couple of weeks.
Rob you are a long way from me but it sounds you are 6 weekly brainwashed. yes a lot of customers will comment and say to frequent but these are the type of customers you dont want. if you get the slightest iclin that the customer you are canvassing will be a messer then dont add to the round. you dont need headaches or hasstle customers. I bet you any money if your leaflets or you changed your canvassing pitch to 4 weekly you wont notice much of a difference and by the end of the year you will be 50% better off than you would staying at 6 weekly.
good luck with it all though robbo whether you do it 4,6,8, 0r 12. it beats working for min wage or for anyone else for that matter.
-
most of my work is calendar monthly with some on every other month.i have got some stand alone commercial jobs on 6 weekly and the odd stand alone large domestic.some 3 monthly and the odd 6 monthly! ;) ;D ;D ;D
i dont have any problems with "is it that time again?" comments on monthly work at all!quite a few window cleaners around my way are still cleaning fortnightly!! :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D
regards
dazmond
-
hi rob. window cleaning in my eyes has always been a monthly thing. from the day i started till now. never have i been asked to go 6 weekly. must be the way you canvas. i go through my pitch at the door and when they are interested i say its £10/20 a month and they agree. sometimes they ask every 2 months but verey rarely and i go with it withought charging extra. I live se london and it is the norm here with work i hav canvassed or bought as never came accross 6 and 12 weekly requests by customers however i can see why a customer would tick 6 weekly if had the choice but the trick isto not give that choice 1200 strong customer base i cant be wrong, where in the country are you??
Something i am going to do from new year when i hit the doors again is charge 50% extra on the first clean as a few local blokes my way do this.
well like you im doubting ill get away with it but 2 other big companies near me do this and say that they get away with it so im going to give it a go, it would sort the messers from day 1 so im told so im going to give it a go.
Mick, do you honestly think you would get away with 50% extra for first clean?? Fair play if you can tho. When I was on the windows, I did try to maybe stick few quid on the first clean, not 50% tho. Wish I had! :o
-
most of my work is calendar monthly with some on every other month.i have got some stand alone commercial jobs on 6 weekly and the odd stand alone large domestic.some 3 monthly and the odd 6 monthly! ;) ;D ;D ;D
i dont have any problems with "is it that time again?" comments on monthly work at all!quite a few window cleaners around my way are still cleaning fortnightly!! :o :o ;D ;D ;D ;D
regards
dazmond
top man im exactly the same. i have been going over 10 years and never been a problem. maybe its a newbie thing due to the stress of how hard it is to build a solid customer base as us established guys have all the regular work and all thats left is the stuff established monthly cleaners dropped over the years fro being messers. ;D ;D
joke by the way before anyone rips me apart.
-
I'll give the 4 week push and go and see how I get on. Thanks for your help.
Cheers
Pete
-
Vin this is how i would see it on a 4 and 6 weekly difference without a price difference. Do you agree or not that it creat's more work 6 weekly.
How would the same scinario work with me on my 4 weekly with you on you 12 weekly with your price 50% higher than mine as you stated.
Rav and joe are in contest to build a window cleaning business...
ravi patel wants to have a business with 1200 customers at 4 weekly.
van 1 400x£10 customers
van 2 400x£10 customers
van 3 400x£10 customers
144k a year
joe bloggs wants a business with 1800 customers at 6 weekly
van 1 600x£10 customers
van 2 600x£10 customers
van 3 600x£10 customers
144k a year
both ravi and joe build there rounds gaining customers at the exact same speed.
Poor old joe will have a lot more work to do than ravi to hit hes target. Ravi would have van 4 and half of van 5 on the road by the time joe has finished earning him 8k more a month than joe. On a flip side joe could try changing from 6 to 4 weekly and be the same but runs the risk of many cancelations due to the change and customers being used to how it was before.
Yes, if the prices are the same, then there's a potential disadvantage being 6 weekly versus 4 weekly if you neglect the fact that customers may be easier to get 6 weekly and less likely to cancel as you're not "back too soon". Neglecting that lightly is a mistake, in my opinion. I chose 6-weekly because it's what I wanted and it's what most of the people I asked (before I started) wanted. Giving customers what they want makes it easier to get them in the first place and reduces cancellations, IMHO. I do think that giving what customers want is in no way a bad thing. Very few businesses other than ours blindly ignore their customers' wishes.
Yes it takes a little longer to be full, but that's a detail. I want to be in this business for a while, so a slow start didn't bother me. And the big thing for me, the one I keep banging on about because it's so important, is the 50% price uplift for half frequency. That's where I make a lot of money. It takes even longer to build up, but the hourly rate is just fine. And, let's face it, the number of hours in a working week is what limits sole traders' earnings.
Let's keep the maths simple. Comparing your 4-weekly to my 12-weekly makes little sense, so lets compare 4 weekly and 8 weekly.
Cleaner A has 300 customers every four weeks at £10. £3,000 every four weeks - £39,000 a year
Cleaner B has 100 customers at four weekly (£10) and 400 customers at 8-weekly (£15). Every four weeks he cleans 300 houses (same as "A") and gets in £4,000 - £52,000 a year.
So, it takes cleaner B more time to build up his round but he's earning far more for the same workload. And I say genuinely that half frequency cleans really don't take more than a few seconds more than a normal clean.
Vin
Vin
-
well i put a spanner in the work,i work 5/6weeks but when i get there ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
to me i earn a good hourly rate every day and dont worry about when i get there :P :P :P ;) ;)
-
Vin this is how i would see it on a 4 and 6 weekly difference without a price difference. Do you agree or not that it creat's more work 6 weekly.
How would the same scinario work with me on my 4 weekly with you on you 12 weekly with your price 50% higher than mine as you stated.
Rav and joe are in contest to build a window cleaning business...
ravi patel wants to have a business with 1200 customers at 4 weekly.
van 1 400x£10 customers
van 2 400x£10 customers
van 3 400x£10 customers
144k a year
joe bloggs wants a business with 1800 customers at 6 weekly
van 1 600x£10 customers
van 2 600x£10 customers
van 3 600x£10 customers
144k a year
both ravi and joe build there rounds gaining customers at the exact same speed.
Poor old joe will have a lot more work to do than ravi to hit hes target. Ravi would have van 4 and half of van 5 on the road by the time joe has finished earning him 8k more a month than joe. On a flip side joe could try changing from 6 to 4 weekly and be the same but runs the risk of many cancelations due to the change and customers being used to how it was before.
Yes, if the prices are the same, then there's a potential disadvantage being 6 weekly versus 4 weekly if you neglect the fact that customers may be easier to get 6 weekly and less likely to cancel as you're not "back too soon". Neglecting that lightly is a mistake, in my opinion. I chose 6-weekly because it's what I wanted and it's what most of the people I asked (before I started) wanted. Giving customers what they want makes it easier to get them in the first place and reduces cancellations, IMHO. I do think that giving what customers want is in no way a bad thing. Very few businesses other than ours blindly ignore their customers' wishes.
Yes it takes a little longer to be full, but that's a detail. I want to be in this business for a while, so a slow start didn't bother me. And the big thing for me, the one I keep banging on about because it's so important, is the 50% price uplift for half frequency. That's where I make a lot of money. It takes even longer to build up, but the hourly rate is just fine. And, let's face it, the number of hours in a working week is what limits sole traders' earnings.
Let's keep the maths simple. Comparing your 4-weekly to my 12-weekly makes little sense, so lets compare 4 weekly and 8 weekly.
Cleaner A has 300 customers every four weeks at £10. £3,000 every four weeks - £39,000 a year
Cleaner B has 100 customers at four weekly (£10) and 400 customers at 8-weekly (£15). Every four weeks he cleans 300 houses (same as "A") and gets in £4,000 - £52,000 a year.
So, it takes cleaner B more time to build up his round but he's earning far more for the same workload. And I say genuinely that half frequency cleans really don't take more than a few seconds more than a normal clean.
Vin
Vin
I do get what your saying and where your coming from. for me its a case that i dont charge anymore from going 4 to 8 weekly not that i have many 8 weekly so it isnt an issue however if 2 thirds of my custys wanted to go 8 weekly id have no choice but to put the price up as would be a massive dent in takings.
My min price for anything is £10 and my average price is just over £14 from my calculations not including my central london work. but considering most of my work is front only and done 4 weekly im happy with that. for me to do as well doing it 12 weekly my average house price would have to be over £25 so im guessing that is close to what yours is so you must target larger properties. so if your round is full up with enough work full of 12 weeklys averaging at over £25 and you can have nice short days i take my hat off to you as your business must be grade A steak.
For me it isnt an option to go 12 weekly as i want a huge customer base of 4 weekly easy to clean easy access terrace/semi's that dont generally have time to get dirty and that dont have much of a front garden and that can be cleaned in 2/3 mins a pop,its sad that i get anoyed spending 10/15mins doing a whole house just to get an extra £5 when could do 4 or 5 fronts in the same time. I hate big houses and try not have them on my round which is maybe why i dont get asked to do anything 12 weekly.
-
if your doing less often then there should be an extra charge, simple fact it will take more time.
I give the customers what they want, if they want 4 weekly they can have it if they want 8 they can they they want less often they can have that too, I did think of six weekly but why upset the apple cart, many do this because they are lazy they could be cleaning 4 weekly then it drifts to 5 then 6 (they just would'nt admit it on here (in my book that loses money and thats why I am in business) it loses a hell of a lot more than the not today brigade, if you say your tern clearly when starting out the not today dont happen very often at all what ever the time interval.
This of course is IMO but also from what I do daily, I dont have half the problems many seem to have on here.
-
i prefer 4 weekly you need less customers bu the last twelve months or so
i have seen a decline in demand and 6 weekly seems to be what most want now by me
i only offer 4 /6 weekly cleans now i dont do 8/12 weekly cleans for new customers
anymore
-
I only offer monthly now.
When I quote it goes like this "On a house of this size we charge £12 and we call to clean once a month" then I shut up and say nowt.
If they say anything like oh cant you call less often them Im outta of there as time has proved to me that this is a sure sign of a messer / slow payer / PIA.
If your buiding a round then different matter of course as you have to take what you can but once full you can pick and choose.
If any current customers want a less frequent service then if the job is priced high I will decide to keep em or not at same price, if job not priced high then will charge whatever I think I can get away with as their changing the origianal agreement or if I want rid of job then just say no only do monthly and if they cancel not bothered.
-
Door step cancellations very rare nowadays and best wayto combat this is to drop em on the spot as again time has shown to me that if they think they can do it the once they will do it again and again and again.
Only exception is I do take holiday cancellation if they ask, builders are in or or theyre dead (wont get paid anyway)
-
if your doing less often then there should be an extra charge, simple fact it will take more time.
I give the customers what they want, if they want 4 weekly they can have it if they want 8 they can they they want less often they can have that too, I did think of six weekly but why upset the apple cart, many do this because they are lazy they could be cleaning 4 weekly then it drifts to 5 then 6 (they just would'nt admit it on here (in my book that loses money and thats why I am in business) it loses a hell of a lot more than the not today brigade, if you say your tern clearly when starting out the not today dont happen very often at all what ever the time interval.
This of course is IMO but also from what I do daily, I dont have half the problems many seem to have on here.
If i wasnt so full up to the brim with customers id say that too but come on man you make out how big you are but say stupid things like that...In reality if you accept what every customer requests at 4,6,8 and 12 weekly, your round would be all over the place. I like to have a week in 1 area 2 weeks in another and a week in another. Which is why a cust wanting to go 6 weekly would mean traveling 10 miles out the way for 1 job, if i had 100 or more requesting 6 weekly id be doing more driving than working! how is that what you call business sence???. So for me if a custy asks to go 6 weekly i say sorry 4 or 8 and if they dont accept that then i replace Or things go tits up. Ian if your whole round was 6 weekly then all would be fine. Even the 6 weekly guys would be messed up taking on 4 or 8 weekly with there work also.
-
Door step cancellations very rare nowadays and best wayto combat this is to drop em on the spot as again time has shown to me that if they think they can do it the once they will do it again and again and again.
Only exception is I do take holiday cancellation if they ask, builders are in or or theyre dead (wont get paid anyway)
I would never drop them for one error, if they do this it is down to you not telling them the terms correctly dropping on the spot IMO is madness and also lacks customer service, explain to them the reason why this cannot happen, must people get a second chance to follow my terms I rarely get messed about but if it happens I explain I cannot run a business with a round full of customers that do this they then either cancel themselves or tow the line simples
-
When I canvass I say " I offer 4 or 6 weeks. I get 70% go for 6 weeks. If they ask for 12 weeks I explain price will be 40% extra.
I always tell them and explain first cleans are 100% more than the normal clean. Never had one refusal.
Quoted a job last month, £50 monthly and first clean £100. Did it this week took much longer as had builders in after my original quote. Client said invoice me for your time not the £100 I had quoted as he was so pleased with the job.
Invoiced £200 he paid .
-
You're missing some information here
400 customers @ £10 per month = £4000 per month
If you're cleaning six weekly why would you charge the same?
for me its
400 customers @ 15 per six weeks = £4000 per month.
Therefore I dont need 50% more customers, just increase their price by 50%.
Alex
-
You're missing some information here
400 customers @ £10 per month = £4000 per month
If you're cleaning six weekly why would you charge the same?
for me its
400 customers @ 15 per six weeks = £4000 per month.
Therefore I dont need 50% more customers, just increase their price by 50%.
Alex
My point being its a reccession and custies wont want a 50% price rise who the hell would pay £15 for there 4 front windows and a door to be cleaned every 6 weeks and have them get dirty when they could have it 4 weekly for £10 and have them stay clean. For a 2 week margin charging an extra 50% is utter bull poop and even if you get away with it how long befor le someone undercuts you???.
-
Even though i dont do it. i do agree with price increase for 8 or 12 weekly but no way 6. Customers arn't stupid.
-
You're missing some information here
400 customers @ £10 per month = £4000 per month
If you're cleaning six weekly why would you charge the same?
for me its
400 customers @ 15 per six weeks = £4000 per month.
Therefore I dont need 50% more customers, just increase their price by 50%.
Alex
My point being its a reccession and custies wont want a 50% price rise who the hell would pay £15 for there 4 front windows and a door to be cleaned every 6 weeks and have them get dirty when they could have it 4 weekly for £10 and have them stay clean. For a 2 week margin charging an extra 50% is utter bull poop and even if you get away with it how long befor le someone undercuts you???.
Lol
-
You're missing some information here
400 customers @ £10 per month = £4000 per month
If you're cleaning six weekly why would you charge the same?
for me its
400 customers @ 15 per six weeks = £4000 per month.
Therefore I dont need 50% more customers, just increase their price by 50%.
Alex
My point being its a reccession and custies wont want a 50% price rise who the hell would pay £15 for there 4 front windows and a door to be cleaned every 6 weeks and have them get dirty when they could have it 4 weekly for £10 and have them stay clean. For a 2 week margin charging an extra 50% is utter bull poop and even if you get away with it how long befor le someone undercuts you???.
Lol
Why the lol??
-
and i was thinking that wfp kept the windows cleaned longer ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
perhaps i am wrong :-[ :-X
-
Mine are all five weeks but because I have so much work and don't work in torrential rain then often it stretches to six or seven weeks. Messers get dumped - compact is king. Jobs in the sticks are bottom priority even if they pay top money.
By offering different frequencies for different customers shows a desperation for work and what happens is the day will come when they all fall on the same day and you're stuffed - you can't service them all.
Some of the business guru's on here do the daftest things it's unbelievable. Keep it simple it's only cleaning windows at the end of the day.
-
Mine are all five weeks but because I have so much work and don't work in torrential rain then often it stretches to six or seven weeks. Messers get dumped - compact is king. Jobs in the sticks are bottom priority even if they pay top money.
By offering different frequencies for different customers shows a desperation for work and what happens is the day will come when they all fall on the same day and you're stuffed - you can't service them all.
Some of the business guru's on here do the daftest things it's unbelievable. Keep it simple it's only cleaning windows at the end of the day.
+1 :)
-
4/8 weekly for us keeps it dead simple.
20 working days then cycle starts again.
4 weekly = £10
8 weekly = £12.50 = 25% increase.
if i had to start again , id do it exactly the same .again.
4 weekly as good as guarantees you 12 cleans per year. 13 if u are strict on your sheets & weather permissable.
-
Mine are all five weeks but because I have so much work and don't work in torrential rain then often it stretches to six or seven weeks. Messers get dumped - compact is king. Jobs in the sticks are bottom priority even if they pay top money.
By offering different frequencies for different customers shows a desperation for work and what happens is the day will come when they all fall on the same day and you're stuffed - you can't service them all.
Some of the business guru's on here do the daftest things it's unbelievable. Keep it simple it's only cleaning windows at the end of the day.
couldnt agree more with the business guru's lol..well funny.
-
im on 8 weeks 100% more work required people just want longer intervals,
i actually have a customer who is paying about 5x worth of cleans for 2x cleans a year so we do 6x cleans normally and she is saving 1x clean and only getting 2x shows you that people just want to save money .
i think if i could do it all over again i would pick 6 weeks cos 8 is a bit of a nightmare establishing and 6 is kinda the happy medium
-
Only exception is I do take holiday cancellation if they ask, builders are in or or theyre dead (wont get paid anyway)
post of the year i'm in stitches